Nickelodeon creator, Jorge R. Gutierrez has posted on social media that he is “developing something” at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. The post showed him wearing a T‑shirt and holding a toy that referenced Speedy Gonzales.

Gutierrez is known for his work on El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and The Book of Life, and is widely celebrated for his animation style and culturally rich storytelling, making his involvement in the animated film a noteworthy development. Speedy Gonzales’ first movie appearance was in the 1953 Looney Tunes cartoon, Cat-Tails for Two, in a prototype form. The character’s official debut in the cartoon was in the 1955 short Speedy Gonzales, for which it also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Over the decades, the character became a staple of Warner Bros.’ animated shorts and appeared in numerous Looney Tunes compilations. In 2016, news broke that a new Speedy Gonzales animated movie was in development, with Eugenio Derbez attached to voice the character. However, the project was put on hold for an indefinite time after Warner Bros.’ merger with Discovery.

Now, with Gutierrez’s cryptic message on his X account, it is obvious the project likely involves the classic Looney Tunes character. As of now, no formal confirmation has come from Warner Bros. Animation about the film’s official status, including plot, format (animated or live‑action hybrid), or release date.

Speedy Gonzales’ Character Faced Cultural Controversy That Influenced Its Delay

After the recent teaser from Gutierrez, the revival of Speedy Gonzales also brings attention to the character’s complicated history. In 1999, Cartoon Network briefly removed Speedy cartoons from U.S. airwaves due to concerns about ethnic stereotypes.

Advocacy groups, including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), spoke out in support of the character and called him a positive figure. By 2002, the network returned the cartoons, though they included occasional warnings about outdated portrayals. Over the years, critics argued that Speedy Gonzales cartoons relied on stereotypes. They pointed to his exaggerated Mexican accent, the small sombrero he wears, and the way some supporting characters were shown as lazy or foolish. These elements were seen as caricatures of Mexican people by some.

In an interview, Derbez, who was attached to voice Speedy in a previous film project, said that the studios were cautious because of the political correctness of the character. He also addressed the stereotypes surrounding the character in the following words:

“The only ones offended are the Americans, but we love Speedy Gonzales. He’s smart. He outsmarts the cats. He’s a hero. He gets cheese for his people. He’s fast.”

Speedy Gonzales cartoons are available to stream on Prime Video.

via Collider